Neurologische Störungen

Examination of the Blood Brain Barrier Integrity in a Mouse Model of the Neurodegenerative Canavan's Disease

Abstract

Seemin Seher Ahmed and Guangping Gao

The blood brain barrier (BBB) refers to the complex anatomical barrier in the brain composed of endothelial cells, astroglia, pericytes, perivascular macrophages and basal lamina. Its selectivity controls the entry of substances into the Central Nervous System (CNS) [1]. BBB disruption affects neurodegeneration [2] and in some cases can be harnessed to deliver intravenous therapeutics to the CNS. Canavan’s disease (CD) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease caused by lack of aspartoacylase that causes extensive demyelination.